Frangible glass grenade

ABSTRACT

An improved munition and method for controlling riotous conditions; the improvement being the utilization of a frangible container for the munition.

United States Patent Shaffer 1 Aug. 15, 1972 FRANGIBLE GLASS GRENADE[56] References Cited [72] Inventor: Roy E. Shaffer, Bel Air, Md. UNITEDSTATES PATENTS [73] Assignee: The United States of America as 2,008,2357/1935 Williams ..102/65 f 'zg by seam" FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS[22] Filed: Nov. 3, 1970 639,907 5/1962 ltaly ..l02/65 [21] Appl. No.:86,443 Primary Examiner-Verlin R. Pendegrass AttorneyHarry M.Saragovitz, Edward J. Kelly, Herh 52 us. Cl. .102/65, 102/6, 102/66, Bedand Bernard J 0 lendorf l02/9O 57 ABSTRACT |5l| lnt.Cl ..F42b 27/06 5xField (IT Search ..I02/6, 65, 66, 90 An Improved and math riotousconditions; the improvement being the utilization of a frangiblecontainer for the munition.

8 Claims, 2 Drawing lh'gures FRANGIBLE GLASS GRENADE DEDICATORY CLAUSEThe invention described herein may be manufactured, used, and licensedby or for The Government for governmental purposes without the paymentto me of any royalty thereon.

My invention relates to an improvement in disseminating riot controlchemical agents in grenades, such as disclosed in US. Pat. No.3,434,421; the improvement being in the use of a frangible material inmanufacturing the grenade case.

The problem which existed with the prior art grenades, such as theaforementioned US. Patent, was that the grenade could be picked up byone against whom the grenade was being used prior to dissemination ofthe grenade payload and thrown back to have the payload disseminatedagainst the user. This was a particular problem with the prior artgrenades when utilized for riot control purposes. My invention wasconceived and reduced to practice to solve the above described prior artproblem and to satisfy the long felt need for a grenade which could notbe thrown back at the user.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a grenade which has afrangible case and which cannot be thrown back at the user.

Another object of my invention is to provide a grenade case whichfragmentizes into pieces which will not cause injuries.

Other objects will be obvious from or will appear in the specificationhereinafter set forth.

FIG. I is a view showing my grenade with the safety pin in position toprevent the striker means from striking the grenade case.

FIG. 2 is a view of the grenade shown in FIG. 1 with the safety pinremoved.

My invention and FIGS. 1 and 2 will now be described in detail asfollows.

As shown in FIG. 1, my grenade consists of a frangible and sealedcontainer 1 to contain the payload to be disseminated, such aslachrymatory material; a plunger means assembly shown at 2 having a headmeans 3 fixedly connected to shaft 4 at one end and diamond tip 5, asshown in FIG. 2, fixedly connected to the opposite end of shaft 4 andadjacent to container 1; plunger mounting means 6 fixedly connected tocontainer 1 in any conventional manner, such as cementing; fins 7fixedly connected to container 1 at the end opposite to the plungermounting means, such as by cementing, to give aerodynamic stability tothe grenade while in flight to the target area; and safety pin 8 toretain the plunger means assembly 2 in the position shown in FIG. 1 toprevent diamond tip from striking container 1 prior to delivery of themunition to a target area. To deliver the payload, which can be selectedwithin the skill of the art for any application of my invention, withincontainer l to a target area, pin 8 is withdrawn from hole 9 in shaft 4;the grenade is thrown to the target area; diamond tip 5 is forcedagainst container 1 when head 3 strikes the ground at the target area; alight scratch is placed on the frangible container 1 when diamond tip 5strikes the container 1 which causes the container 1 to fragmentize intoparticles which have no sharp edges, such as the safety glass inautomobile Windshields when broken; and the payload within container 1is disseminated at the target area site. Container 1 is manufactured ofany glass which has been chemically treated in hot alkali metal bath toinsure proper fragmentation and has properties such as l.65 X 10 psi at25 C strength to weight ratio modulus of rupture to specific gravity,10.3 X 10 psi at 25 C Youngs Modulus of Elasticity, 4.3 X 10 psi at 25 Cshear modulus, 6.0 X 10 psi bulk modulus, 40,000 psi modulus of rupturestandard sandblast abrasion, 590 kg/mm 2 gm load) Knoop hardness, 2.46gms/cc density, 880 C softening point, and 583 C strain point. While theutility of my invention is described as a grenade, my improved case canbe used with other munitions, such as bullets or other missiles, used inspecial applications to avoid permanent injury. Also, while tip 5 isdescribed as a diamond tip, any material can be used for tip 5 which isharder than and will scratch and fragmentize container 1.

It is obvious that other modifications can be made of my invention, andI desire to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a munition adapted to deliver a payload to a target area having aplurality of components comprising a plunger assembly, a striker means,and a safety pin means; the improvement in combination with thecomponents being a container means made of a frangible material and thestriker means being a material which is harder than the containermaterial, said frangible material being glass having a density of 2.46gms/cc, a softening point at 880 C, and a strain point at 583 C adaptedto be fragmentized into particles having no sharp edges and to preventwound injuries.

2. The munition of claim I wherein the munition is a grenade.

3. The munition of claim 1 wherein the glass has been chemicallytreated.

4. The munition of claim 3 wherein the chemical treatment is by hotalkali metal bath.

5. The munition of claim 1 wherein the glass has a 1.65 X 10 psi at 25 Cstrength to weight ratio modulus of rupture to specific gravity, a 10.3X 10 psi at 25 C Youngs Modulus of Elasticity, a 4.3 X 10 psi at 25 Cshear modulus, a 40,000 psi modulus of rupture standard sandblastabrasion, and a 590 Kg/mm Knoop hardness.

6. The munition of claim 1 wherein the striker means material is adiamond.

7. The munition of claim 1 wherein the payload is a chemical agent.

8. A method of controlling riotous conditions by disseminating achemical agent from a frengible container comprising the steps ofremoving a safety pin from a grenade having a frangible container, saidfrangible material being glass having a density of 2.46 gms/cc, asoftening point at 880 C, and a strain point at 583 C adapted to befragmentized into particles having no sharp edges and to prevent woundinjuries; throwing the grenade to a riotous target area; striking thecontainer with a striker means on impact of the grenade with a surfaceto cause the container to be scratched and fragmentized, the strikermeans being a material which is harder than the container material;fragmentizing the container into particles having no sharp edges toprevent wound injuries; and disseminating the chemical agent at theriotous target area.

it =l

1. In a munition adapted to deliver a payload to a target area having aplurality of components comprising a plunger assembly, a striker means,and a safety pin means; the improvement in combination with thecomponents being a container means made of a frangible material and thestriker means being a material which is harder than the containermaterial, said frangible material being glass having a density of 2.46gms/cc, a softening point at 880 * C, and a strain point at 583* Cadapted to be fragmentized into particles having no sharp edges and toprevent wound injuries.
 2. The munition of claim 1 wherein the munitionis a grenade.
 3. The munition of claim 1 wherein the glass has beenchemically treated.
 4. The munition of claim 3 wherein the chemicaltreatment is by hot alkali metal bath.
 5. The munition of claim 1wherein the glass has a 1.65 X 103 psi at 25* C strength to weight ratiomodulus of rupture to specific gravity, a 10.3 X 106 psi at 25* CYoung''s Modulus of Elasticity, a 4.3 X 106 psi at 25* C shear modulus,a 40,000 psi modulus of rupture standard sandblast abrasion, and a 590Kg/mm2 Knoop hardness.
 6. The munition of claim 1 wherein the strikermeans material is a diamond.
 7. The munition of claim 1 wherein thepayload is a chemical agent.
 8. A method of controlling riotousconditions by disseminating a chemical agent from a frengible containercomprising the steps of removing a safety pin from a grenade having afrangible container, said frangible material being glass having adensity of 2.46 gms/cc, a softening point at 880* C, and a strain pointat 583* C adapted to be fragmentized into particles having no sharpedges and to prevent wound injuries; throwing the grenade to a riotoustarget area; striking the container with a striker means on impact ofthe grenade with a surface to cause the container to be scratched andfragmentized, the striker means being a material which is harder thanthe container material; fragmentizing the container into particleshaving no sharp edges to prevent wound injuries; and disseminating thechemical agent at the riotous target area.